


You're Not Worthless

by Nina_Beans



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: A Stan gets punched, Child Abuse, Ford being a protective big bro, Gen, Sort Of, Stan and Ford bonding, Stan getting reassurance from his twin, homeless boys, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 14:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13977066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nina_Beans/pseuds/Nina_Beans
Summary: What if Ford stood up for Stan when Filbrick kicked him out? How does Stan react knowing his brother would do that for him, even though he believes Ford deserves to leave him behind?The two are homeless and pent up emotions spill out into the open as they leave for the road.





	You're Not Worthless

**Author's Note:**

> A little story I wrote over on the amino.  
> Ford actually being a good big brother and standing up for his bro, no matter what happens.  
> Hope you enjoy and feedback/comments are always appreciated! ^^

______________________

Ford's blood was already boiling when he opened the front door, crunching the plastic bag in a tight fist as he looked up and saw Stan lying on the couch. He took a deep breath, let it out through clenched teeth, and advanced towards the living room.

One step after the other. Left foot, right foot. One, two. How. Could. Stan. Do. This. To. Me.

He stopped infront of the television screen, blocking out whatever tactless thing Stan was watching and redirecting his brother's attention to him. The simmering anger just under the surface of his skin did not seem to catch Stan's attention, however, the teen instead flopping over to sit straight on the couch and give his twin a carefree smile.

"Hey! what's the word, Sixer?"

Ford tensed at the cheerful tone that was so much in contrast with his own thoughts, glaring as he produced the old, crinkled bag of toffee peanuts in his fist.

"Can you explain what this was doing next to my broken project?", Ford hissed, eyes cold and harsh as he searched Stan's face.

A jump, guilt, wide eyes, a frown.

Stan quickly masked any evidence that he was to blame and cleared his throat.  
"Ok, ok. I might have accidentally been... Horsin' around."

That was it.  
A confession.  
Ford had been hoping beyond hope Stan would prove him wrong, prove he was innocent because he was his brother. He would never do something like this to him. Sabotage him and break him down. Stan would never.

But he did.

Ford's blood ran cold.

"This was no accident, Stan! You did this", Ford paused, felt his heart clench, "you did this because you couldn't handle me going to college on my own!", Ford told him, tone dripping with hurt and betrayal because how could Stan do this? All he had wanted was to become someone. Stan couldn't even let him have that.

Ford watched as Stan backed away from him, his hands going up as he tried to diffuse Ford's accusations.  
"Well, uh, hey! Maybe there's a silver lining?", Stan tried quickly, "treasure hunting?"

Stan's face was expecting and hopeful, and it only fueled Ford's anger.  
No matter what happened Stan always expected Ford to forgive him. Always expected a second chance, but no matter how many times he was forgiven he never learned.  
Stan had pushed him one too many times. A line had been crossed and Ford was not about to let it go that easily.

"Are you kidding me? Why would I want to do anything with the person who sabotaged my entire future!?", Ford growled, stepping forward and shoving his twin into the worn couch, looking down at him with fury.

Just as Ford opened his mouth to shout something at his bewildered twin Filbrick suddenly appeared, shoving Ford out of the way and taking his place to tower over his brother.

"You did what, you screw up?" Filbrick growled and yanked Stan up by his shirt collar.

Stan made a scared noise in his throat when he was forced to be closer to his father.  
It was a strained, unhinged whine and Ford recognized the sound all too well. Stan made that sound when he was uncomfortable or scared. He never vocally voiced his discomfort and he never cried. That was for babies, for whimps, according to Filbrick.

The noise set Ford's mind into overdrive and he went rigid as he watched the scene unfold before him.

"Answer me!"

"I-it was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean--!"  
Stan gasped as he was cut off by a harsh slap, head turning with the force.

Filbrick shook Stan by the collar and Stan flinched away, eyes screwed shut in pain.

"I didn't ask you if it was a mistake! Now answer me!"

"Dad I didn't--stop!"

Filbrick growled, brought up his fist, and decked Stan across the face with what looked like every ounce of strength he had, blood immediately pooling out of Stan's nose and busted lip.  
The teen moved with the punch and gasped, hands coming up weakly to try and push Filbrick away. The man easily overpowered Stan's attempts at escaping and sneered, fist clenching once more as he brought it up.

"You're worthless."

Ford's eyes were wide as he watched and he balled his hands into fists, fingernails digging into the palm of his hand and heart beat thundering in his chest. It didn't matter that Stan had made him upset, he couldn't stand to watch this. Stan was scared. He was hurt. Filbrick hurt him. He hurt Stanley. He hurt Stanley. He HURT STANLEY.

Ford yelled and barrelled into his father just as the man was about to punch his brother again, using enough force to knock Filbrick onto the floor.

"What the-!" Filbrick grunted in surprise as he fell on his side, glasses knocked off his face as they fell next to the couch.

"Get away from him!" Ford shouted down at his father, quickly moving to block Stanley from veiw.  
Stan was huddled against the wall and Ford pushed his brother behind him, going into a boxer's stance and raising his hackles as Filbrick stared at him in anger.

"The hell are you doing, boy?"

Ford only tensed further and raised his fists.

Filbrick opened his mouth but was cut off at the sound of rapid footsteps coming down the staircase.

Ford froze at the sight of his mother as she came around the corner, baby screaming in her arms as she rubbed tiredly at her eyes.

"Stanley what's all the--" She gasped, eyes wide as she took in the scene. "Stanford? Filbrick? What's going on in here?"

Filbrick pushed off the floor with a grunt and went to retrieve his glasses, turning to Ford with a sneer before spitting at his shoes. Ford glared at the man as he pushed the tinted things back onto his face. He looked exactly like he always did. Tough, unswerving, cold. It must be the glasses. Ford made a mental note to never purchase a pair.

"I want them gone by the time I get back." Filbrick said stoically as he walked past his wife and out the back door.

His mother gaped after him before turning to Ford with wide, scared eyes.  
Ford looked back and his face softened, sending her a look that said "I'm sorry" as she shook her head, still rocking the baby in her arms.

She gave him one last pleading look before she hurried to follow after her husband, slippers  
Slapping against the floor as she went to the door.

"Filbrick! They're just boys!"

Ford watched his mother go before a small whimpering sound caught his attention.

Stanley.

Ford turned to his little brother, eyes quickly scanning over him as he dropped to his knees and reached up to take Stan's face in his hands.  
Ford gently turned his head side to side, finding that he was deeply bruised, lip busted and bloody, and his cheek was already swelling, but nothing was broken.

He sighed in relief before tightening his grip ever so slightly, not enough to cause his twin pain but to alert him to a sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Stanley."

Stan's eyes widened at the tone and he shifted nervously, not looking Ford in the eye.  
Ford seemed to contemplate something before ultimately letting Stan go, standing with a grunt and offering him a hand.

Stan grabbed onto him and pulled himself up, slow and careful.

"Stanley. I want you to go grab your things, pack whatever you think you'll need for the next couple of months and then meet me outside in the car, do you understand?"

Ford waited for the confirmation before he nodded and left to grab a bag from the supply closet.

Stan was up in their room when he began stuffing food and other items into his blue duffle bag. He heard Stan break something upstairs but decided it didn't matter. They would be gone soon anyway.

The house was dark. It reminded him of the horror movies Stan would make him watch. Seemingly calm and yet there was an underlying danger that you already knew was there, you were just waiting for the dam to break. Ford wondered if Stan had ever thought the same. It was easy to spot danger when you already knew what to expect.

Did Stan already know what to expect?

Now that he saw Filbrick physically hurt Stan, he was starting to question if it had ever happened before. Had he hurt him like this before? Why had Stan never told him? Why hadn't Ford figured it out?

Ford walked to the back of the car and sighed, tossing the bag into the trunk.

It was nearly eight minutes before Stan came outside. He was wearing cleaner clothes, they weren't blood stained at least, had cleaned his face and held an ice bag to his cheek, other hand carrying a burgundy duffle bag.

Stan walked over and got into the passengers side after noticing Ford was at the steering wheel, sighing as he plopped down onto the worn seat.

Ford didn't say anything as he started the car and took off.

There weren't many cars out on the road. Stanford didn't know where he was going but he figured he would come up with a plan as he went along. Stan watched as he passed by the beach. Ford thought he heard him sigh.

Every so often he would catch Stan staring at him and would turn just in time to watch his brother hurriedly look outside his widow. Ford didn't say anything. He would turn back and get that strange feeling of being watched again.

"Why are you staring, Stanley?" It was more a demand then a question.

Stan went rigid and looked out to the window, more on reflex then anything.

"What? I-I wasn't--"

"Don't play coy, Stanley. I have peripheral vision, you know. Why were you staring at me?"

"...I...I just..."

Ford waited for Stan to finish and kept his eyes on the road in front of him, it was several moments later that Ford realized he wasn't going to continue.

Ford looked over at Stan and saw him staring at his knees, his hands splayed on his lap and gaze hard and focused.  
Ford raised an eyebrow and turned back to the road.

"You stood up for me..."

The astonishment in Stan's tone had Ford's hands clenching on the wheel. Did he really not think?

"Of course I did, Stanley. You're my brother."

"But you seemed so angry-"

"I am furious. You have no idea how absolutely enraged I am with you, Stanley. You sabotaged-"

"I didn't-!"

"Don't, Stanley."

Stan quickly shut his mouth, eyes wide and Ford sighed. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, eyes glued to the road as he cleared his throat.

"You sabotaged me. Ruined my chances at a good college. You ruined my chances to become someone, Stanley. You ruined  
Me."

Ford choked on the words and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"...But..you're my brother, Stan. I would never stand by while someone hurt you. Not even that monster we call our father. No matter what, I'm always going to do my best to protect you."

Ford finished and the words settled in the air, heavy and smothering as they kept on driving.

Stan sat still in the seat next to him, breathing somewhat short as he stared at the floor. It was several minutes before he said anything, and when he did the words we're so quiet Ford had to strain to catch the small "I'm sorry" Stan breathed.

Ford's brows furrowed but he didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess. You deserve to be at yer fancy college, you deserve to have people congratulating you and tellin' you how smart you are." Stan's breathing picked up with each word. "You deserve a brother who would know when to let ya go, someone who'd realize you had to grow up someday and it wasn't gonna be with them. You deserve every good thing on this earth and I went and screwed you over just 'cause I didn't want to see ya go."

Ford heard a hitch in Stan's breath and almost slammed the breaks in alarm, barely containing himself as he forced his focus on the stretch of road ahead of him.

"You'd be better off without me, Ford. You deserve so much more then me. I shoulda' let ya leave and dad coulda' kept usin' me as a punching bag 'cause it's all I'm good for and you woulda' been happy and-and-I didn't mean to, Ford. I didn't mean--!

Ford pulled off to the side of the road and he did slam the breaks, hard and fast and angry.  
When the car skidded to a halt Stan had the decency to look worried.

"What did you just say!?"

"What? I-I"

"What did you just say, Stanley Pines?" Ford growled and turned to his brother with red coating his vision. Stan flinched back at the look.

"I didn't say anything! What do you want from me?"

"I will never be better off without you!" Ford shouted. "I don't know what that monster told you but whatever he said it isn't true! You are not worthless, Stanley! You're worth so much more then people give you credit for and I don't want to hear you say otherwise ever again."

Stan looked at him in surprise and furrowed his brows, frowning when Ford turned away from him and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Just, please don't."

Ford's burst of anger left him quickly, replaced with defeat as he sighed, a shuddery, broken thing as he let his head hang.

The light from the posts overhead cast a low, yellow glow inside the car. It gave Stan the perfect veiw to see the tears budding at the corners of Ford's eyes.  
Despite the humid April air Stan felt chills run up his body.

"Ford?"

Ford hunched his shoulders and hid his face against the steering wheel. His breath hitched and Stan scrambled to get closer to him, place a hand on his shoulder.  
He let his hand linger, rubbing comforting circles into Ford's shoulder as he waited for him to say something more.  
A car passed by them and lit everything in a blinding flash of light, it was then that Ford wiped at his eyes and took a slow breath.

"What are we gonna do, Stan?"

Stan raised an eyebrow.  
"What?"  
Ford sighed and brought his hands up to lightly grip the steering wheel.

"We've got nowhere to go. Nowhere to come back to. I've got nothing and I can't-I can't support us. I've got nothing, Stan. We've got nothing."

Ford thunked his head against the horn and Stan frowned at the loud honk that followed.

"Nothing, Stanley. Nothing."

"Ford I-"

"Why did this have to happen? I had such bright plans for the future and now-"

"Ford-"

"I can't-"

"Ford!" Stan yelled and shook his brother by his shoulder roughly, snapping Ford out of his depressed mumbling as he looked up at him.

"...Yes?"

Stan inhaled deeply and squeezed Ford's shoulder once before letting his hand drop.

He opened his mouth before closing it again, looking down with a frown. Now that he had Ford's undivided attention it seemed impossible to get the words out.  
Ford tilted his head.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes. No. Maybe." Stan huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to say... I'll find a job. I'll get two jobs. Maybe even three. I just don't want ya to think this is your responsibility. I can be useful."

Ford sighed.

"I don't think it's that simple, Stanley."

"Well what else can we do?"

Ford looked away and focused on the dark sky outside, it was appropriate for the occasion. Kicked out of your house before you could even finish high school. Ford shook his head with a deep sigh.

"I don't know..."

Ford slowly started the car and eased back onto the road, driving in the opposite direction.

Stan noted the change. "Where are we goin'?"

"Motel." Ford shrugged. "I've got enough money for a couple of nights."

Stan nodded and looked outside the window, rolling it down so the cool air could hit his face. The icebag he brought along with him was lying on the floor of the car and he reached to pick it up, noticing that it was already melted with a sigh.

Ford glanced over at him. "We'll get you a new one when we reach the motel."

"Ok."

Ford passed old buildings, memories popping up with each one of a better time in his life. The sight seemed to only make him bitter.

When a dusty looking building came into veiw displaying the "Salt Water Motel" Ford rolled up to the parking lot and killed the engine.  
"Grab your things, I'll meet you inside."

Stan nodded and left without a word, leaving Ford to collect himself and grab the money they would need from his duffle bag as he walked up to join him.

Ford entered the room and a soft bell chimed from the door, grabbing the attention of a bossy looking woman and his brother.  
As he looked around he noted the inside was old and looked as if it was falling apart. Ford couldn't afford to be picky. Stan was sitting in a chair and quickly stood to join him when Ford walked passed.

Ford reached the receptionist and cleared his throat.

"One room please, two nights." He said to the woman at the front desk, handing her his wad of cash. She glanced at them with a raised eyebrow before shrugging, digging around to produce a key.

"Room 219. Here ya go." She counted his money, stashed away fifteen dollars and handed him the rest.

When they reached the room Ford immediately produced a bag of ice for Stanley, handing it to him leisurely and nodded at the thank you that was sent his way before walking over to sit at the edge of one of the old beds.

He was too deep in thought to notice Stanley sit beside him, or react when Stan suddenly let his head fall against his shoulder with a sigh.

"I'm sorry." Stan mumbled, sighing as he closed his eyes.

Ford hummed at the words before noticing Stan's apology. He was saying that word quite a lot lately. Ford found he didn't like it.

"It's... It's ok, Stanley. I forgive you. It's not all your fault anyway. I might have overreacted."

"Still sorry."

Ford reached over to slap Stan on the head and gave a small smile at the "ow!" he got in return.

"Don't say that. I know you are, and you don't have to be." Ford said as he nudged Stan up to look him in the eye.

"You're more important to me then a good college, you're worth much more then a PhD or a doctorate or any of those things. I care about you. I wish you would have told me how you felt instead of immediately assuming I wouldn't care. I do care, and if you want me to stay with you then we can work something out."

Stan's eyes were wide and he made a small, choked sound in his throat. "Really?"

Ford smiled. "Yes, really. I'll figure something out. We'll show the world we can make it on our own. We can make it together."

Stan grinned and let his free hand settle between them.

"High six?"

Ford raised his hand and smiled.

"High six."


End file.
